The benefits of virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) for workplace productivity and security are well known – as evidenced by a growing market1 and deployments in two thirds of enterprise-scale organizations2.

Organizations have several choices for VDI implementations. They can engage a desktop-as-a-service provider (on- or off-premises); consume a solution from the public cloud; or take a DIY approach. Each option presents its own challenges. Desktop-as-a-service is often inflexible and bloated, especially as the workplace software stack has moved to a much more frequent update cadence. If you opt for the public cloud, you could face issues associated with latency – the so-called “distance dilemma” – and high costs at scale or in high-performance tiers.

If you build the solution yourself, you’re looking at a significant effort to design the environment to service a peak capacity, and a long procurement cycle to enable it. That delays time to value. But the biggest challenge for the traditional implementation cycle is the upfront expense. You must purchase all the hardware and software up front and integrate it. Then you have additional ongoing expenses to operate the entire complex stack. Every five to seven years the purchasing cycle is repeated because the environment requires a refresh to manage costs related to hardware obsolescence and software end-of-life, while maintaining operational efficiency and meeting ever-increasing expectations for the user experience.

Breaking the cycle of upfront expense

HPE Pointnext, the services organization of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, recently launched a unique new option for VDI: HPE GreenLake VDI Lighthouse Program. It’s not DIY, it’s not public cloud, and it’s not desktop as-a-service. Here’s how it works: you choose from a range of fixed performance tiers in any combination. HPE deploys into your data center all of the hardware and software required to deliver exceptional desktop experiences for your users. But you pay only for what you use, via simple per-named-user, per-month billing.

Ongoing, HPE Pointnext will support, operate and manage the platform up to, but not including, the desktop virtual machines themselves. This means you retain full control of the crucial desktop and application environment, while HPE ensures that the platform to which they are deployed is available, performant and secure.

This is a turnkey solution which we think holds great appeal for companies considering a move to VDI or a refresh of their VDI environments. HPE GreenLake VDI Lighthouse Program keeps desktop workloads on-premises, enabling rapid time-to-value and delivering the security, user experience and productivity benefits that organizations expect. The solution keeps desktops close to applications and users, eliminating the public cloud’s “distance dilemma.”

HPE GreenLake VDI Lighthouse Program replaces the rigidity of the desktop-as-a-service option with the agility of HPE GreenLake Flex Capacity. Your VDI environment can seamlessly scale as demand grows, so you can always respond quickly to the needs of the business. The platform is completely managed by HPE; we handle regular updates to firmware and software so you can be sure your environment is always up to date.

To learn more about HPE GreenLake VDI Lighthouse Program, watch this video filmed with vlogger Jake Ludington at our recent HPE Discover event in Madrid, Spain. You can also visit our Mobility and Workplace Services site to learn more about the Digital Workplaces services offered by HPE Pointnext.